1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to waste collection and disposal devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices for collecting and disposing of animal waste have existed in the prior art. These prior-art devices are typically designed to collect, carry, and immediately dispose of the animal waste. Prior-art devices do not facilitate transportation of the contents to the nearest disposal area, or in some cases back to a user's home, without dropping or spilling of a portion of the contents.
Prior-art devices typically should be emptied after each use. Coverless waste scooping and disposal devices are designed to leave the waste exposed so that a user walking a disobedient dog cannot easily control the animal and prevent the waste from falling out of a scooping tray of the device. Prior-art devices are not designed to stand in an upright position without the assistance of the user.
To set a filled prior art scooper device down, a user must lean the device against an object to enable the device to stand in an upright position. Because conventional devices do not have pivoting and locking trays, a user's only option for setting down the device is the leaning of the conventional device against an object to avoid spilling the contents.
Typical prior-art devices are not designed with temporary locking devices for holding pivoting scooping trays in stationary positions during emptying of the devices. Because this flaw exists in these devices, the assistance of a second hand is needed to hold the tray in a position that would allow the waste to fall out.
Although separate raking devices have existed in the prior art for assisting the user in raking the waste into the tray, these raking devices must be carried separately. Existing scooping devices do not have any type of clip-on device for attaching the rake to the handle of the scooping device. Therefore, it has been necessary for the user to hold their animal, the scooping device, and the portable rake all at the same time.
Prior art scooping and disposal devices have suffered from one or more of the following disadvantages:
(a) They are not designed to hold more than several ounces of animal waste before having to be emptied. PA1 (b) They do not provide a secure holding area, that would prevent spilling when transporting the waste to a disposal area. PA1 (c) They do not provide a covered or secured area for the animal waste. This can be an embarrassing, as well as unsanitary way of carrying animal waste. PA1 (d) They do not provide a temporary locking device for holding the tray in a position that would allow the waste to fall out when emptying. PA1 (e) The user often must physically place his or her bare hand on the waste-covered tray to empty the contents. PA1 (f) They are not designed to stand in an upright position without the assistance of the user. PA1 (g) They do not provide an easy and effective way of disposing of animal waste. PA1 (h) They do not provide a sanitary and clean way of disposing of animal waste. PA1 (a) Provides a more convenient way of carrying both rake and waste scooping device. PA1 (b) An attached disposable bag provides a sanitary means of acquiring and disposing of animal waste. PA1 (c) The attached disposable bag provides a secure means for transporting the animal's waste once it has been picked up. PA1 (d) Provides extended fork on the front of the scooping tray to assist the user in collecting waste in deep grass or weeded areas. PA1 (e) Provides a quick and easy way of disposing of animal waste. PA1 (f) Provides a temporary locking device to hold the tray in a desired position, when collecting animal waste on steep inclines. PA1 (g) Provides a spill-proof means for collecting, transporting and disposing of animal waste. PA1 (h) The disposable bag provides a cleaner way of disposing of animal waste by preventing waste from spilling, or sticking to the inside walls of the disposal area.